30 killed in Mae Hong Son refugee camp blaze

[KTMphil]

62 killed in Mae Hong Son refugee camp blaze

Now officially 62 killed ...30 killed in camp blaze

• Published: 23 Mar 2013 at 00.00
• Newspaper section: News

MAE HONG SON: About 30 refugees were killed in a fire at a camp in Khun Yuam district yesterday, police said.
The fire broke out at the Mae Surin refugee camp about 6pm and raged through a cluster of makeshift houses at the camp, one of three in Mae Hong Son.
The fire destroyed about 200 out of 281 houses, mostly made of bamboo wood and roofed with dried grass, said Pol Col Nitinart Witthayawuthikul, chief of the Khun Yuam district police station. About 1,800 ethnic Karen refugees from Myanmar lived in this camp, he said.
A senior national intelligence official said most of the dead are women, elderly and children. Some 200 were injured and hospitalised.
Mae Hong Son assistant governor Boonserm Jitjanesuwan said all of the refugees had been evacuated to a temporary shelter.
Initial investigations determined that a refugee was cooking in a kitchen when the wooden wall caught fire from a stove and quickly spread to other houses.
"I regret this incident and too many people died," Interior Minister Charupong Ruangsuwan said. "The casualties should not be so high. I will investigate the cause of the fire."




Bangkok Post

 

[harrygps]

I´ve seen it yesterday in the Thai news allready, now Horst (Baan Farang GH) called, to tell details. He said this year is more horrible than last year, what for me was the worst ever. He never saw so many cutted and prepared for burning hillsides before. Also many in areas, without villages or hilltribes. Yesterday was a heavy storm, which blowed the burnings to uncontrollable hell.
Will this accident change anything? We guess not. The answers we got, made sad. In 2 month in the rainseason it´s over, maipenrai. Or a true word from a local. They paid the penalty 2 month ago allready at the last dinner with some important people.

 

[2wheels]

TRAGIC UPDATE

At least 62 die in fire at Karen refugee


"MAE HONG SON: At least 62 people have died after a fire swept through a refugee camp in Mae Hong Son and the death toll could rise further, officials said on Saturday.

About 30 refugees were originally reported killed when the fire broke out at about 6pm Friday at the Mae Surin refugee camp in Khun Yuam district of the northern province.

Dr Paisarn Thanyawinitchakul, the chief of Mae Hong Son Public Health Office, said 32 more bodies had been found in the burned camp and the death toll could rise further.

He said most of the victims could not escape the blaze and some died of suffocation.

A senior national intelligence official said most of the dead were women, the elderly and children. About 200 people were injured and were being treated in hospital.

Khun Yuan district chief Sangkom Klapthiangsaen said the blaze, apparently sparked by a cooking fire, burned more than 300 huts, mostly made of bamboo and roofed with dried grass, before it was brought under control on Saturday morning.

Security sources said the blaze was not an act of sabotage, and confirmed that it was caused by an accidental cooking fire.

Rescue workers were on the scene at the remote mountainous camp area, Mae Hong Son provincial governor Narumol Paravat told AFP by telephone.
Hospitals in Mae Hong Son had dispatched teams of medical personnel to tend the injured.

Chatchai Promlert, director-general of the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department, said he had instructed the department's regional centres to assist as well.
A school, clinic and two food warehouses had also been destroyed, the department reported.

Temporary shelters for the homeless are being provided by the International Rescue Committee (IRC), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).

"We have been able to get into the camp with food supplies and plastic sheets for shelters," said Vivian Tan, a spokeswoman for the UNHCR.

The camp, located about 90 kilometres west of Mae Hong Son, town houses about 3,300 Karen refugees, she said.

It is one of nine refugee camps on the Thai-Myanmar border set up more than two decades ago to offer asylum for ethnic Karen fleeing the fighting between the Myanmar army and rebel troops.
There are an estimated 140,000 refugees in camps in Thailand.

After a new quasi-civilian government replaced the long-ruling junta in Myanmar two years ago, Thailand announced it wanted to shut the border camps, raising concern among their residents.

But so far the displaced residents have been allowed to stay and the Thai government has stressed that it will only send them back when it is safe."

(BGK POST)

 

[LivinLOS]

From what I was trying to follow on a Thai news channel I think they had upped the death toll to 45..

At least '45 people' was being repeated over and over and I dont think they were listing injured.

EDIT :: Rons post just appeared in front of this.. So its gone even higher !!

 

[KTMphil]

Some photo's

 

[LivinLOS]

Holy fuck !!

 

[KTMphil]

Refugee camp? I wonder how many are unaccounted for?

 

[2wheels]

Poor souls; an absolute nightmare.

 

[KTMphil]

A few more photo's of the terrible disaster

Some donated supplies on their way

 

[KTMphil]

 

[The Bigfella]

Poor buggers. The treatment of these people has been a travesty for years. I spent a week in Nu Pho camp last year and was horrified at the conditions

 

[KTMphil]

Photo's by:

[h=2]Piyavit Thongsa-Ard[/h]

 

[2wheels]

Hell on Earth.

 

[2wheels]

Tragedy Leads to Tragedy.

[h=2]Firefighter killed near Pai[/h]

• Published: 23 Mar 2013 at 17.13
• Online news:

"A firefighter was killed and seven others injured when a truck carrying 15 firefighters from Chachoengsao tumbled into a canyon at Km 81 of the Chiang Mai-Pai road on Saturday afternoon.
Peera Chuaybamrung, head of the Mae Sariang Forest Fire Control Unit, said the firefighters had been travelling north to help put out brushfires that have been breaking out in Mae Hong Son.
The injured firefighters were taken to Pai district hospital, he added."

(Bgk Post)

 

[KTMphil]

A few more from Piyavit Thongsa-Ard All Right Reserved ©



anding in front of the waiting refugee - Mae Surin Refugee Camp. March 23, 2013 - All Right Reserved © Piyavit Thongsa-Ard./ Do not copy without permission.

Authority supply survivor kids -Mae Surin Refugee Camp. March 23, 2013 - All Right Reserved © Piyavit Thongsa-Ard./ Do not copy without permission. (Permission granted for RideAsia.net)

Surviver kids from army landing in front of the waiting refugee - Mae Surin Refugee Camp. March 23, 2013 - All Right Reserved © Piyavit Thongsa-Ard./ Do not copy without permission.

Landing in front of the waiting refugee - Mae Surin Refugee Camp. March 23, 2013 - All Right Reserved © Piyavit Thongsa-Ard./ Do not copy without permission.

Photo's: All Right Reserved © Piyavit Thongsa-Ard./ Do not copy without permission.





Mae Surin Refugee Camp. March 23, 2013 - All Right Reserved © Piyavit Thongsa-Ard./ Do not copy without permission.

 

[brake034]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZguSlzlo8g

 

[Captain_Slash]

A terrible tragedy

 

[Ally]

[video=youtube_share;XZsj2TiPh_A]http://youtu.be/XZsj2TiPh_A[/video]

This is without reporter crap chatter of the prison inferno.

 

[KTMphil]

Video Link: http://youtu.be/XZsj2TiPh_A

This is without reporter crap chatter of the prison inferno.

I was told once by a local that they are penned there as a "tourist attraction" and the check point Army get 30% of the tourist revenue, who knows if its true.

Never sent from an I-Phone

 

[Pounce]

Is that the camp Mac showed us Phil?

 

[MartinThai]

Shit that's awful..... RIP those poor souls.

 

[KTMphil]

Is that the camp Mac showed us Phil?

There's 9 refugee camps in that area, i'm trying to find out if it's the same one, the one we were near was called "

Ban Nim Pang Ding"


​

More here:


http://www.rideasia.net/motorcycle-...exploring-new-trails-around-mae-hong-son.html

 

[KTMphil]

Some more photo's from Piyavit Thongsa-Ard./ Do not copy without permission.

 

[KTMphil]

Mae Surin Refugee Camp. March 23, 2013 - All Right Reserved © Piyavit Thongsa-Ard./ Do not copy without permission.

 

[LivinLOS]

Some more photo's from Piyavit Thongsa-Ard./ Do not copy without permission.

That one hit me.. Sat here first thing in the morning with my pup at my feet..

Damn.

 

[2wheels]

Having been in that area on Tuesday and Wednesday (riding the CB500X) and seeing the extent of the fires I did suspect what is now claimed to be the cause of their tragedy;

"Pol Lt Col Decha Phaohom, an investigator with Khun Yuam district police station, said witnesses saw embers being blown by the wind land on the roof of a refugee house which caught fire and quickly spread to other houses.Investigators believe the blaze may have been caused by a forest fire, not sparked by people cooking as previously reported, Pol Lt Col Decha said."



(Bgk Post)

 

[bsacbob]

This morning the number of dead has been stated at 36, the sad thing is these poor people shouldn't have been there in the first and remain unwanted people. The Bangkok post is reporting of plans to rebuild the village on the same site, but i guess options are limited and they have no chance of resettling in their homeland without further cost of lives.

 

[KTMphil]

The media and the big boss..of a day.
-----------------------------
Mae Surin Refugee Camp. March 23, 2013 - All Right Reserved © Piyavit Thongsa-Ard./ Do not copy without permission.

 

[KTMphil]

Refugee kids search for something that might be use for what that he and his family has lost in the fire.
------------------------------
Mae Surin Refugee Camp. March 23, 2013 - All Right Reserved © Piyavit Thongsa-Ard./ Do not copy without permission.

 

[KTMphil]

Refugee kids looking at the desk that used to be secrete and hardly any refugee possible to come inside before - At the remains of information and personal information room, homeland security section.
----------------------------
Mae Surin Refugee Camp. March 23, 2013 - All Right Reserved © Piyavit Thongsa-Ard./ Do not copy without permission.

 

[KTMphil]

Photo's Copyright: Cann Aripai
Permission granted to reproduce

 

[KTMphil]

 

[KTMphil]

Photo's: Cann Aripai Copyright

 

[KTMphil]

Photo's Copyright:
[h=2]Cann Aripai (เมธา ฟ้าแว๊บ แว๊&#3610[/h]

 

[KTMphil]

Bangkok Post:




[h=2]Blaze camp district cop shunted[/h] [h=3]Refugees claim chopper dropped 'burning object'[/h]

• Published: 25 Mar 2013 at 23.12
• Online news: Local News

MAE HONG SON - The Khun Yuam district police chief was hit with a lightning transfer order Monday for alleged negligence in handling Friday's deadly inferno at the Mae Surin refugee camp which resulted in almost 40 deaths.

Karen refugees and soldiers on Monday buried refugees killed in the fire that claimed 37 lives and destroyed hundreds of houses at the Mae Surin refugee camp in Mae Hong Son province last Friday. (Photo by Thiti Wannamontha)

In the order signed by Mae Hong Son police chief Sompong Chingduang, effective Monday, Pol Col Nitinart Wittayawuthikul has been moved to Mae Hong Son provincial police office for 30 days, pending an investigation.
Pol Maj Gen Sompong said Pol Col Nitinart had failed to perform his duty when the blaze broke out at the refugee camp on Friday afternoon. He would also be excluded from the fire investigation team.
Pol Col Nitinart, however, insisted he had rushed to the scene immediately after learning of the incident.
"I was there [at Mae Surin camp]. I was among the first officers who arrived at the camp to conduct the search and rescue operation," Pol Col Nitinart told the Bangkok Post.
The police officer said he was not informed in advance of his transfer and there was no clear explanation about why he had been moved out of the area.
He said he had made some progress in questioning witnesses about the cause of the blaze.
Pol Maj Gen Sompong said a police investigation committee had been set up to investigate the camp fire. The cause could not be concluded at this stage.
Investigators were still questioning witnesses and affected refugees.
He said police would interview as many refugees as they could.
"We will try to finish the investigation as soon as possible," he said.
He refused to confirm an earlier account by some witnesses that the fire started at a house in Zone 1 of the refugee camp. (Story continues after details on aid donations)

While Deputy Interior Minister Pracha Prasopdee insisted Monday the camp blaze was an accident, accounts given by refugees at the camp suggested it might have been man-made.
A police source who questioned Mae Surin camp refugees in the aftermath of the inferno said many witnesses told the officers they saw a helicopter flying above the camp minutes before the fire broke out. They also said they saw a burning object dropped from the helicopter on the roof of a house in Zone 1.
A source from the police forensics team Monday said traces of phosphorus had been found in the grounds of the house where the blaze was believed to have started.
Soil samples from the house would be sent to a Bangkok laboratory for further examination, the source said.
Sunai Phasuk, the Human Rights Watch representative in Thailand, urged the government to quickly and clearly conclude the probe to end all the speculation as the tragedy and the high death toll were being closely watched by human rights organisations and had become a concern among activists.
"The government cannot sit on this issue and let it go with the hope that the public will soon forget about it," he said.
"The government has to come up with an answer."
Meanwhile, the bodies of 36 fire victims at Mae Surin refugee camp were buried Monday in a simple Christian ceremony.
The official death toll is 37. The last victim, a male refugee, succumbed to his injuries at Nakorn Ping Hospital in Chiang Mai on Sunday. His body has yet to be returned to the camp for religious ceremonies.
Sa Mu, 29, who lost his 20-year-old brother and 15-year-old nephew in the blaze, said the fire began in Zone 1 while he was at home in Zone 4.
He ran out to help others in Zone 4 put out the fire.
"In only about 15 minutes, the fire spread quickly to my house. So I had to rush back home," he said, adding that he shouted for his family members to escape before running to a stream next to the camp.
But his brother and nephew could not make it out to the stream.
Joa Pa Hu, 26, the owner of the house where the fire was believed to have started, told police he was not at home when the blaze began.
"I left my two-year-old son sleeping at the house and went out to eat with my mother at another house," he said. "No one was at the house except my son."
He insisted he did not leave a cooking fire burning when he went out.
Toe La Si, 32, said many people heard the sound of a helicopter's rotors and saw sparks and smoke trails falling from the sky.
"It was like someone setting fire to different corners of the camp. It spread quickly from section 1 to 4," she said.
Khun Yuam district chief Charnchai Srisathien Monday said identification of the victims had been finalised. Of the 37 killed, 21 were male and 16 female.

 

[bsacbob]

Holy shit i hope these reports are not true, but i guess we will never know the real truth.

 

[2wheels]

" .... many witnesses told the officers they saw a helicopter flying above the camp minutes before the fire broke out. They also said they saw a burning object dropped from the helicopter on the roof of a house in Zone 1.
A source from the police forensics team Monday said traces of phosphorus had been found in the grounds of the house where the blaze was believed to have started.
Soil samples from the house would be sent to a Bangkok laboratory for further examination, the source said. "

 

[KTMphil]

Photo:

Piyavit Thongsa-Ard

 

[KTMphil]

 

[harrygps]

Holy shit, unbelieveable horror. I was informed about it yesterday from Khun Yuam allready, but I didn´t believe it. But the person said a few times, this is NOT a rumour anny more, it´s the offical and proved trues allready. Now my friend is in the camp and was sended back from some army guards. But he entered the village and brought some blankets, fruits and bread. This is needed most, drinking water is enough there.
The UN lies to the world, that they are there and helps with food and gear. But they said in KY, we don´t have money for this and in the camp were not even one offical from the UN. The only help comes from locals.
Help them!